Brit J Hosp Med
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The hand is an extremely versatile organ adapted for fine tasks with various clinicoanatomical compartments. This article reviews the types of common hand infections that present to the emergency department and/or hand surgeon, with relevant investigations and strategies for diagnosis and treatment, with the emphasis on distinguishing between superficial and more serious infections.
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The National Confidential Enquiry into Patient Outcome and Death review into the quality of care provided to UK patients with a new diagnosis of acute pulmonary embolism highlights both clinical and organisational changes that should be made to improve patient care and outcomes.
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This article summarises the recommendations of the new American Thoracic Society guidelines on the pharmacological management of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, comments on how they differ from other guidelines, and considers the research needs and unanswered questions posed.
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Biography Historical Article
Richard Wiseman: the best known English surgeon of the 17th century.
This year marks the 400th anniversary of the birth of Richard Wiseman, acknowledged to be the best known surgeon in this country in the 17th century. His authorship of the surgical textbook Several Chirurgical Treatises gave him the well-deserved reputation for being regarded as the father of English surgery.
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The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has had significant implications for society, with the introduction of restrictive social measures. Antibody tests provide a way of identifying patients who have been previously exposed to the virus and thus may have a degree of immunity. This is important in the development of public health policy, as local and national bodies seek to relax social restrictions in an attempt to mitigate the socioeconomic impact of the pandemic. This article explores the essential statistical concepts used to interpret the findings of diagnostic investigations, with examples illustrated using COVID-19 antibody tests.